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	Snake with Feet Found in China
Natalie Ultimate Fish Guru Apolay Wayyioy Posts: 4499 Kudos: 3730 Votes: 348 Registered: 01-Feb-2003	Edited by Natalie http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-9-20/46166.html I found this article from another site, and I thought it was pretty interesting. The snake appears to have rather well-developed front legs, complete with five toes. This (as well as the fossil snake with hind legs discovered earlier this year) is some compelling evidence for the idea that snakes evolved from goanna-like lizards during the Mesozoic era. It appears that they still contain the DNA that forms legs, but due to some mutation in this individual, those genes got expressed. I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.
Posted 21-Sep-2006 07:25
moondog Moderator The Hobnob-lin Posts: 2676 Kudos: 1038 Votes: 4366 Registered: 30-Sep-2002	i thought it was documented that snake skeletons had vestigial legs on their skeletons but that not all species were capable of developing those "limbs". i know my red tail started having nubs near his tail portion when he started getting around 8ft long. "That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman
Posted 21-Sep-2006 09:32
Natalie Ultimate Fish Guru Apolay Wayyioy Posts: 4499 Kudos: 3730 Votes: 348 Registered: 01-Feb-2003	The spurs on primitive snakes such as boas, pythons, sunbeam snakes, etc. are well known examples of vestigial limbs, but the snake found in China is incredibly unique... Not only did it actually have legs with toes (instead of just a small claw on the side of the body), but it was found in a group of highly advanced snakes, the Colubrids, that has never been known to show any trace of limbs. I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.
Posted 21-Sep-2006 19:45
Natalie Ultimate Fish Guru Apolay Wayyioy Posts: 4499 Kudos: 3730 Votes: 348 Registered: 01-Feb-2003	Also, are you sure your Boa constrictor is a male? In every boa and python I can think of, the spurs in males are present throughout the snake's life. If your boa just got the spurs when he was 8' long, I'd be questioning his gender. Even my male Rubber Boa, which is a burrowing species and not even close to full grown, has well-developed spurs. Females of most species, on the other hand, have smaller spurs that take longer to be seen outside the body and sometimes, they never develop spurs at all. Have you had your boa probed at all? I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.
Posted 21-Sep-2006 19:51
Natalie Ultimate Fish Guru Apolay Wayyioy Posts: 4499 Kudos: 3730 Votes: 348 Registered: 01-Feb-2003	Here's something else that's interesting... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5363328.stm Apparently they found a skeleton of Australopithicus afarensis that's more complete than the one nicknamed "Lucy". They are currently carrying out studies to see if the individual walked upright or not. September has been a good month for science... I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.
Posted 21-Sep-2006 21:28
moondog Moderator The Hobnob-lin Posts: 2676 Kudos: 1038 Votes: 4366 Registered: 30-Sep-2002	Edited by moondog i took him to a vet when he was about 4ft long and the vet said it was a male. i don't have him anymore or else i'd ask around to find out for sure.... oh, and they're calling the australopithecus "lucy's baby" because they think it was about 3 yrs old. "That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman
Posted 21-Sep-2006 21:36


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